Episode 89
The AI Trojan Horse: A Chief Data Officer’s Secrets to Leading Culture Change
We chat with Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton
In this episode, we chat with Tony Zona, the Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton UK. We talk about leadership, data, and the cultural shift required to unlock the value of AI.
Tony’s 25-year journey at Grant Thornton, evolving from a tax trainee to becoming the firm’s first ever Chief Data Officer in 2022, is a masterclass in adaptability and innovation.
He offers a brilliant, people-focused perspective on data-led transformation, famously comparing siloed business units to different Italian dialects—and how his work has been about creating a common, understandable ‘business language’ for the firm’s 5,000+ people.
What You’ll Learn:
The Trojan Horse Strategy: Why Tony advises leaders to not talk about data, but instead use the excitement of AI as a Trojan Horse to secure buy in for essential foundational work like data literacy and governance.
Mindset Shift: Grant Thornton’s 3D Initiative: Tony details the firm’s unique, multi million pound 3D (Data Driven Digital Mindset) programme—designed to move beyond typical training by fostering a cultural shift and measurable outcomes among leaders and associates.
Data as a Feedback Loop: Discover how Grant Thornton turns data recording from an overhead into a self-perpetuating, value-driven loop by connecting high quality data directly to a leader’s top priorities, like forecasting and profitability.
Lessons for All Leaders: Tony shares practical takeaways for resource constrained leaders—especially those in the third sector—on how to start small, focus on core business values (like saving lives, not just profitability), and celebrate the ‘data wins’ to spark a data literate culture.
Before the interview, Zoe and Paul offer a considered appraisal of the UK AI skills report, discussing the dangers of a widening gap between the 'haves' and 'have nots' and the critical challenge of consistent implementation across all sectors, from top accountancy firms to grassroots charities.
A must listen for any leader struggling to translate the excitement of AI into practical, sustainable organisational change.
Government AI Skills Framework https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-skills-for-the-uk-workforce
Editing and production - Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
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